Other VanOrden Posts

Sunday, July 22, 2012

The six months before a major national election are usually filled with all kinds of stressful banter between parties and candidates. It is too bad we accept this as “politics-as-usual”. The faint hearted could become, well, more faint hearted. My strategy has always been to listen little and respond less.

No need to raise anxieties by becoming manic about the future. Because of distortion and bias I watch the news less from May through October during election years. I find a few publications and commentators whom I trust as honest and partake occasionally but not as a regular diet.

I prefer conservative thinking since it has proven to help our nation prosper as a whole. Since 9/11, after a few months of a turn toward spirituality, our trend has been to divisiveness. What should have united us brought out opportunists who have exploited the fears of people in America. It is exactly what the terrorists wanted.

When we look broadly we can see how we have been duped into class-warfare. Since Barack Obama was elected, the one hope I had was that he would unite, but instead he has divided our nation. Congress has not helped by retreating to their respective corners and pummeling each other.

One important purpose of our Constitution was to provide that divisiveness could not happen. I am confident it will not last. As always, elections bring us back to reality and toward the middle where progress can happen. Our nation and economy will survive. It always has and always will.

Though a bit messy at times, the balance of power and constitutionally mandated processes will work. We can disagree on policy and procedure while we enjoy the debate, but we don’t need to think we are on the brink of disaster. I believe in American’s continuing greatness.